Pet owners are warned to be aware about the dangers of a deadly disease after an online map revealed the Alabama Rot hot spots in Kent.

CRGV, commonly known as Alabama Rot, is a rare but highly dangerous disease which affects all breeds of dog and can lead to their flesh rotting, kidney failure, loss of appetite, tiredness and vomiting.

Without urgent treatment, dogs develop a raging fever and can eventually die.

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Areas walked: Redhouse Common in North Chailey; from New Heritage Way, North Chailey down through Wapsbourne Farm up past Kicks Cottage Campsite & down Butterbox Lane to Sloop Lane.

Brighton

Date: April 2017

Areas walked: unknown

What is Alabama Rot?

CRGV, commonly known as Alabama Rot, is a dog disease of unknown cause that affects all breeds.

The mysterious illness, which first appeared in the late 1980s affecting greyhounds in America, has been found in at least 27 counties in England and Wales since 2012.

There have been with nearly 130 cases across the UK since 2012

David Walker, from Anderson Moores Vetinary Specialists said: "The cause of Alabama Rot, clinically known as idiopathic cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV), is still unknown and there is no known way to prevent a dog from contracting the disease.

"While there is currently no known way to prevent a dog from contracting the disease, there is a very useful guide available online to help people understand where in the UK confirmed cases have been found and advice on how to spot signs."

What to look out for

One of the most noticeable signs of the disease early in its onset is skin lesions.

This abnormality in the tissue of an organism begins as a slow-healing ulcer.

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